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Yeah, I just don't really have anything except what I gave her, I'm going shopping first thing tomorrow. I put her in there with the lights off about five minutes ago and she's finally stopped talking, she was purring so loud too  Yay cat.
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May 15, 2016 09:30
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Good job. Also gently caress those guys abandoning a cat. If you wanted a quick and dirty litter tray you could try scoop dirt into a tray or put shredded paper in til you can get actual litter. Most animal shelters and vets should do animal chipping and scanning.
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May 15, 2016 10:35
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Organza Quiz posted:Litterbox, food and water is basically it! I mean, in the long term there's toys and brushes and nail clippers and such but for basic keeping a cat all they need is food, water and a place to poo poo. For the record cooked chicken is fine as long as it doesn't have bones in it, but obviously you want to get her on actual cat food as soon as possible. Bare minimum:
Recommended add-ons:
Stuff you don't really need and their budget equivalents:
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May 15, 2016 11:09
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Money spent on cat toys and a cat bed were my biggest wasted initial costs when it came to my cats. There's a few things they're happy with. Felt/fluff balls to bite and chase. Crumpled paper does the same job. Cat dancer, and Da Bird. They've slept in the cat beds maybe once or twice in the years I've had these jerks. They much prefer my bed or a spot under the window.
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May 15, 2016 11:12
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Oh right I did forget scratching posts, that's fairly essential. Some cats like vertical ones and some like horizontal ones and some only love your couch but you should probably get one asap anyway. IIRC it's a stress-relieving thing so a new cat might appreciate it especially.
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May 15, 2016 11:21
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I spent £60 on a cat bed and, in a shock twist, they love it and spend loads of time in it.  
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May 15, 2016 12:52
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Any advice on training a cat to eat at an automatic feeder at a set time? We have two cats, a male (Pedro) who we've had for about 4 years and a female (Slinky) who we've had for 2. Pedro is definitely the dominant of the two - he's a lot larger and likes to assert his dominance by swiping at her now and then and chasing her around. There is no serious fighting/violence and they will chill/sleep in the same rooms etc. so not a massive problem but she's not very confident around him. We have a timed feeder that goes off for dry food in the morning and Pedro will eat from that, but it dispenses a set amount as he is greedy and we don't like just leaving food out. Slinky won't eat from that feeder at all and isn't as food motivated as him, we've also had trouble getting her to eat from a separate timed feeder at the time it goes off - I think she is more of a grazer. However if she doesn't eat what she wants of the food when it is dispensed, Pedro is likely to steal her food. Most of the time it's OK as we feed her when we wake up and she will eat what she wants up on a table without Pedro disturbing her. Sometimes she is up in her eating spot waiting for her breakfast but sometimes she's not that bothered and needs encouraging to eat. Is there a good way to train her to eat from a timed feeder more consistently? It would be much easier if we are away for a few days to be certain she can eat her fill in the mornings and just have someone come once per day to check litter and give them their evening meal. We have considered getting a microchip feeder so she can graze at leisure but they are so expensive!
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May 15, 2016 14:22
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X_X I guess four hours of sleep is enough. I would mind less if any stores were open so I could go find this monster something to make her shut up. Hangover isn't helping either. On a less grumpy note this is like the most affectionate cat ever, she is continually nuzzling my hand and rubs seem to be the only thing she likes more than hearing her own voice.
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May 15, 2016 15:06
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Problem: I have a mama cat w. kitten in tow hanging out in my shrubbery. Taking them in isn't an option--we already have a cat and dog with faltering health, and our cat has FIV which obviously we don't want to spread around. But I'd like to look out for them a little. There's a rescue which takes in and spays stray cats, tries to get them back into good health and find homes for the human friendly ones. My plan was to put out a little food and water for them until I can herd them into a carrier and take them to the rescue. That's not the problem, that's the introduction. The problem is how do it without attracting the other 6 dozen strays in the neighborhood, most of whom are more than capable of driving off mama. I think they're staying in the bushes in part to hide from the other strays.
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May 15, 2016 16:22
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Chard posted:X_X I guess four hours of sleep is enough. I would mind less if any stores were open so I could go find this monster something to make her shut up. Hangover isn't helping either. Ah, she sounds like my cat when I first got her. She'll calm down eventually, to some degree. Though admittedly my cat only got quieter when she had kittens.
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May 15, 2016 16:57
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Cat update: immediately used the litterbox I just set up - she must have been holding that since last night! Also ate some hard things and had some water (I was worried because she hadn't until now), and is currently looking at birds outside and NOT MEOWING. I'm gonna get her checked out at the animal hospital a little later today but this seems to be an superb feline
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May 15, 2016 17:22
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SynthOrange posted:Money spent on cat toys and a cat bed were my biggest wasted initial costs when it came to my cats. There's a few things they're happy with. Felt/fluff balls to bite and chase. Crumpled paper does the same job. Cat dancer, and Da Bird. Yeah, 90% of the money you spend on cat toys is wasted. The problem is, you don't know what the 10% is.
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May 15, 2016 19:31
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So, my cats are embroiled in a strange war of rage pooping. They refuse to poop in their boxes, and are pooping just outside of it in the rooms they hang out in. My set up is this: Cats+1 boxes. Two upstairs, two downstairs, all in different rooms. Cleaning daily to every other day. Once every six months, the whole set of boxes is broken down, litter changed and the boxes bleach cleaned, dried and refilled. Litter is changed monthly completely. They really do NOT like each other, and both seem jealous and anxious. I do my best to give both cuddles and playtime.  They seem happiest apart, but I don't know how we can do this fairly. Pod is kind of a butt and will walk over Shinobi, eat her food and drink her water despite having her own. I'm trying to figure out how to fix that because it's not helping Shinobi's stress.And poor Slinky just keeps licking the windows and kicking himself in the face.
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May 16, 2016 04:37
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Aerofallosov posted:So, my cats are embroiled in a strange war of rage pooping. They refuse to poop in their boxes, and are pooping just outside of it in the rooms they hang out in. Is this a new thing, or has this been going on for some time? Aerofallosov posted:And poor Slinky just keeps licking the windows and kicking himself in the face.
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May 16, 2016 05:32
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duckfarts posted:Is this a new thing, or has this been going on for some time? Slinky's a little... special. And it's been going on for a few weeks, that's why I took them to the vet (along with picking up flea meds, yearly shots, etc). Nothing is physically wrong with anyone. I thought that changing things would help, and I've been trying everything from cleaning litter boxes twice a day, total cleandowns, reading about reintroductions, and so on. I'm wondering if I made it worse. Is there any good cat behavior stuff around? I also know that even changes take time to set in, which is why I didn't fuss right away.
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May 16, 2016 08:36
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Invest in Feliway diffusers. It's calming kitty pheromones that make a situation more chill. And if they're calmer and associate this calm with the other cat, they might not hate each other or poo poo everywhere.
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May 16, 2016 08:55
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Aerofallosov posted:Slinky's a little... special. Did you change litter types at any time? Also, I haven't heard of bleach-cleaning litterboxes (i usually just use detergent and water if i'm doing a major clean); is there any remaining bleach smell when you're done? I'm wondering if the feel or smell is keeping them out of the litterbox before deciding it's a problem between cats, especially since you have boxes that are all away from each other.
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May 16, 2016 08:59
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Chard posted:Cat update: immediately used the litterbox I just set up - she must have been holding that since last night! Also ate some hard things and had some water (I was worried because she hadn't until now), and is currently looking at birds outside and NOT MEOWING. I'm gonna get her checked out at the animal hospital a little later today but this seems to be an superb feline Keep us updated on how she's doing. If your cat goes for wet food she probably won't need to drink as much. I think you're right as far as her being abandoned by the family that moved. Cats love a routine, and it sounds like she wasn't used to being pooping-in-the-woods feral. Congrats on having cat ownership thrust upon you! As far as cat-beds are concerned, cats will find the most comfortable location for them which is usually just outside a cat-bed. They're also like water and will fill up any available space. 
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May 16, 2016 16:01
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duckfarts posted:Did you change litter types at any time? Also, I haven't heard of bleach-cleaning litterboxes (i usually just use detergent and water if i'm doing a major clean); is there any remaining bleach smell when you're done? I'm wondering if the feel or smell is keeping them out of the litterbox before deciding it's a problem between cats, especially since you have boxes that are all away from each other. Nope. And no bleach smell. This was going on before I bleached the boxes, and I rinsed them for 15 minutes before leaving them to dry, checking them and rinsing once more before drying. I could try mixing in some World's Greatest Litter. They really are used to Tidy Cat. LivesInGrey posted:Invest in Feliway diffusers. It's calming kitty pheromones that make a situation more chill. And if they're calmer and associate this calm with the other cat, they might not hate each other or poo poo everywhere. Alright, sounds good.
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May 16, 2016 18:00
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Well, I've made up my mind to accept a little furry rear end in a top hat into my apartment. I'm currently planning on adopting an adult cat from a shelter, (ideally on the younger side but that's lower on the priority list). I know that food/water bowls, a collar, and a litter box are all musts, and I already bought a cat bed and cat tower in a fit of CAT MADNESS (although the tower is at least perfectly sized to just be a carpet-y side table when cat inevitably decides they want nothing to do with it), is there anything else that I'm missing? Also, any advice for deciding on which cat will come home with me/judging personality off of a short encounter?
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May 16, 2016 21:07
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If you only want one cat, ask for one that likes being a solo cat. It gets the animal out of a really stressful situation and means you never have to worry about finding them a companion. Middle-aged cats, like 7 to 9 years old, are also awesome because they still have a lot of life in them but have generally mellowed out from being shitheads. Generally. My three range from 9 to 15 and still have holy terror moments.
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May 16, 2016 22:56
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Just had the owner come by and pick up "Channelle" (ugh). She was a sweetheart and I wish I could have kept her but at least her family gets their cat back. Dumbass apparently takes her out regularly with no collar or chip or harness though, I hope the next time she gets spooked and runs off someone smarter than I am finds her and keeps her. e: anyone in the Sacramento region want a barely-used cat starter kit? Chard fucked around with this message at 02:40 on May 17, 2016 |
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May 17, 2016 02:35
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Well, since you've got all the stuff for a cat, try look at your local shelter!
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May 17, 2016 02:40
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The Lord of Hats posted:Well, I've made up my mind to accept a little furry rear end in a top hat into my apartment. I'm currently planning on adopting an adult cat from a shelter, (ideally on the younger side but that's lower on the priority list). I know that food/water bowls, a collar, and a litter box are all musts, and I already bought a cat bed and cat tower in a fit of CAT MADNESS (although the tower is at least perfectly sized to just be a carpet-y side table when cat inevitably decides they want nothing to do with it), is there anything else that I'm missing? Also, any advice for deciding on which cat will come home with me/judging personality off of a short encounter? The general rule is "let the cat pick you." That's kind of hard to define, but one that warms to you immediately is a better pick than one that hides from you. Test drive a bunch and one will likely stand out as the best match.
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May 17, 2016 02:43
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SynthOrange posted:Well, since you've got all the stuff for a cat, try look at your local shelter! Ehhh.. I'm definitely not opposed to another awesome cat wandering into my life, but I wasn't exactly looking to adopt before this.
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May 17, 2016 02:45
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Chard posted:Ehhh.. I'm definitely not opposed to another awesome cat wandering into my life, but I wasn't exactly looking to adopt before this. 
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May 17, 2016 03:16
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Chard posted:Ehhh.. I'm definitely not opposed to another awesome cat wandering into my life, but I wasn't exactly looking to adopt before this. I'm pretty sure that cat was a divine messenger telling you that you need a cat in your life
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May 17, 2016 03:38
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Chard posted:Just had the owner come by and pick up "Channelle" (ugh). She was a sweetheart and I wish I could have kept her but at least her family gets their cat back. Dumbass apparently takes her out regularly with no collar or chip or harness though, I hope the next time she gets spooked and runs off someone smarter than I am finds her and keeps her. *poke* heeeey... go get something that needs you. something old and ugly that no one else wants. you will have one solid pal. I will also send you a complimentary gold star sticker and refer to you as a pet hero.
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May 17, 2016 12:28
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No matter how little someone thinks of themselves, or how worthless they think they are, every single person has the ability to go down to the shelter and find the least adoptable cat there, the one nobody else would take a chance on, and become the most important living being in their life.
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May 17, 2016 20:21
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Reik posted:No matter how little someone thinks of themselves, or how worthless they think they are, every single person has the ability to go down to the shelter and find the least adoptable cat there, the one nobody else would take a chance on, and become the most important living being in their life. Dammit, way to say it way better than I. But I will still call you a pet hero and send you stickers 
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May 17, 2016 20:24
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You are in a perfect position to adopt a FIV positive cat!! The shelter I volunteer at has the hardest time placing older cats (6+ years) and FIV positive cats. Often times if they have been there long enough the adoption fee is waived too! You already have the bulk of the upfront cat cost taken care of too~
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May 17, 2016 21:42
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We just got a cat this past weekend, if it wasn't for the fact that we absolutely fell in love with a cat before we got to the FIV room, we would have definitely considered adopting one. There was so many cute tubby cats in that room, oh man. The shelter we went to also has mascot cat that they let wander around that has one eye. He apparently got some sort of respiratory infection that spread to his eye and it had to be removed. I was totally down to adopt him as a second cat because that was a no fucks giving "I want a pet now" cat, he was super cool. However he is not up for adoption, he is officially the shelters cat, though people apparently want to adopt him all the time.
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May 17, 2016 21:53
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Hey cat faq thread, I need some advice on breaking my little terror of a couple of bad habits. I recently (like a week ago recently) got a cat from a lady could no longer keep him. He's a cuddly sweetheart most of the time but he's still quite young (2 and a bit) and full of energy and unfortunately he's definitely been allowed/encouraged to play with hands and feet. I read the OP but it seems more aimed at preventing kittens from picking up the habit in the first place - any advice for letting him know that this is now off limits? I do my best to tire him out with toys when I get home from work, and for the most part he's starting to understand that redirecting onto any part of my body = playtime is over for a while. I expect it will be a slow process and that's fine - he is still settling in here as well. The super annoying thing though, is that sometimes he'll try to play with me when we're chilling in bed by biting and pawing at my hands. He's got very good bite inhibition so it's not painful but I'd really rather he didn't - I've had the rule with my past cats that bed = chill place, no playing, but that was raising them from kittens. What would you guys suggest is the best thing to do to teach him that this doesn't have the desired result? My first instinct was to just get out of bed when he tries it so that he gets that playing in bed = end of bed hangout time, but I don't want to inadvertently teach him that biting me, however gently, is a good way to get me out of bed!
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May 17, 2016 22:21
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Werong Bustope posted:Hey cat faq thread, I need some advice on breaking my little terror of a couple of bad habits. I know when you want a cat to stop scratching furniture you can put that double sided tape on it and they end up not liking the feel of it. What if you made gloves with duct tape facing outwards? Also, I've heard making a pitiful mew sound when they go for your hand helps as it how they would tell another cat they got hurt.
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May 17, 2016 22:27
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So after the birth of my twin girls, a dog, and moving... my 4 year old set of sibling cats have been having some bad bathroom habits. I don't blame them as I'm stressed too. We tried cat attract, tried adding another litter box, tried changing/scooping litter more often, and so on. Nothing was working. I finally decided to keep them isolated in a room and sort of "restart" litter training. It has been two weeks and it is working very well. I'll probably give them another week or two and then expand their area to the upstairs. I really wish I would of thought of a complete "reset" earlier, and highly recommend it for a cat that starts having a tough time. They had even been to the vet twice, who suggested anxiety medication and a food change. Couldn't be happier right now. Sophie (left) and Dre (right)
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May 18, 2016 13:33
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Werong Bustope posted:The super annoying thing though, is that sometimes he'll try to play with me when we're chilling in bed by biting and pawing at my hands. He's got very good bite inhibition so it's not painful but I'd really rather he didn't - I've had the rule with my past cats that bed = chill place, no playing, but that was raising them from kittens. What would you guys suggest is the best thing to do to teach him that this doesn't have the desired result? My first instinct was to just get out of bed when he tries it so that he gets that playing in bed = end of bed hangout time, but I don't want to inadvertently teach him that biting me, however gently, is a good way to get me out of bed! I think a better option than getting out of bed is just to not react to him at all when he does it. Especially if it doesn't hurt, if you wait it out he'll eventually learn that playing just isn't going to happen when you're in bed. If you want to discourage him from things you can also try gently bapping him on the nose much like cats do to each other to tell each other to stop that but I don't know if that's going to teach him to not do it at all so much as convince him to stop in the moment.
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May 18, 2016 16:17
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Chard posted:Just had the owner come by and pick up "Channelle" (ugh). She was a sweetheart and I wish I could have kept her but at least her family gets their cat back. Dumbass apparently takes her out regularly with no collar or chip or harness though, I hope the next time she gets spooked and runs off someone smarter than I am finds her and keeps her. I once picked up a kitten that has been hanging around my apartment for a few days. I posted a sign in the mail room and the owner contacted me. After talking with her for a bit it became apparent that she didn't know or care to know much about caring for pets. She got her cat back, spayed and vaccinated, and unbeknownst to her, chipped. The next time the cat gets out, hopefully it will get picked up and I'll have a new cat.
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May 18, 2016 18:17
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Visited two shelters so far and augh this is an impossible decision to make. I don't want to get a cat that I'm going to be the wrong owner for  Given that I live alone in an apartment, how concerned do I need to be that a more energetic cat is going to get lonely when I'm not there? The more relaxed cats I came across seemed to be pretty disinterested in me, and there was a young cat that I did like a lot (but she was new to the shelter so they didn't have a firm grasp of her personality yet so I don't know what she's like outside of a new situation and aaaaaaaah). Am I just overthinking cattes?
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May 18, 2016 23:05
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The Lord of Hats posted:Am I just overthinking cattes? Yes Quite a bit even. RELAX.
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May 18, 2016 23:49
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My cat's been lying near my feet recently, and I lean down to pet him. Sometimes though, his tail is swishing around, slowly. I know cats waving their tails is not like dogs, but the internet info seems to stop at "If the cat is waving its tail fast, it is aggrivated'. Does it mean anything when it's slowly swishing its tail around when lying down? Should I not pet my cat when it's doing that?
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May 19, 2016 00:31
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